SATICOY : Claims Deadline Set in Bias Settlement

Women who may have suffered discrimination when they applied for jobs at the Buenaventura Lemon Co. packinghouse in Saticoy have until April 1 to apply for compensation.

Dole Citrus has agreed to pay $530,000 to victims of sex discrimination at three sites: the Saticoy plant, a Central Valley orange packinghouse and a temporary job service based in Porterville.

In Ventura County, the Buenaventura packinghouse tended to shuttle women into jobs grading the size and quality of lemons, according to Lee Pliscou, an attorney for California Rural Legal Assistance in Oxnard. Even if such entry-level positions such as driving forklifts, packing fruit or cleaning equipment were available, women were not considered, he said.

“In packinghouses, there has traditionally been women’s work and men’s work,” Pliscou said. “The women’s work has been grading, and the men have done everything else.”

A federal judge will review all discrimination claims. Pliscou said he expects the settlement money to be distributed in July.

In a similar case settled last year, victims of sex discrimination at the Oxnard Lemon Co. packinghouse received roughly $4,000 apiece, spread over three years.

But awards in this case could vary substantially depending on the number of successful applicants.

For information or help filing a claim, call California Rural Legal Assistance’s migrant farm worker project at 486-1068.